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Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 359-370) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction -- This is beauty sickness. Will I be pretty? ; Just like a woman ; I, object -- This is what beauty sickness does to women. Your mind on your body and your body on your mind ; It's a shame ; Your money and your time -- This is how the media feeds beauty sickness. Malignant mainstream media ; (Anti)social media and online obsessions -- The ways we're fighting beauty sickness aren't working. Media literacy is not enough ; The problem with "real beauty" -- How we can fight beauty sickness. Turning down the volume ; Stop the body talk ; Function over form ; Learning to love your body and teaching others to do the same ; Turning away from the mirror to face the world.

Summary, etc.:

"Today's young women face a bewildering set of contradictions when it comes to beauty. They don't want to be Barbie dolls but, like generations of women before them, are told they must look like them. They're angry about the media's treatment of women but hungrily consume the very outlets that belittle them. They mock modern culture's absurd beauty ideal and make videos exposing Photoshopping tricks, but feel pressured to emulate the same images they criticize by posing with a "skinny arm." They understand that what they see isn't real but still download apps to airbrush their selfies. Yet these same young women are fierce fighters for the issues they care about. They are ready to fight back against their beauty-sick culture and create a different world for themselves, but they need a way forward."-- Publisher. Today's young women are angry about the media's treatment of women but hungrily consume the very outlets that belittle them. Engeln reveals the shocking consequences of our obsession with girls' appearance on their emotional and physical health and their wallets and ambitions, including depression, eating disorders, disruptions in cognitive processing, and lost money and time. To truly fulfill their potential, we must break free from cultural forces that feed destructive desires, attitudes, and words. She provides inspiration and workable solutions to help girls and women overcome negative attitudes and embrace their whole selves.